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Fixing your own computer is getting
easier, but only if you are willing to take the time. Here are
some initial steps:
First, if you have any idea of what,
if any, software was installed recently, that may be a clue.
But even if you don't, you may have simply been a victim of
'drive-by' malware - you visit a website or open and email, click on
a link, or otherwise allow malware to get a foothold in your
computer system. Diagnosis for computers is similar for
doctors - first you want to find out what hurts where. Which
programs aren't working right, what is happening. These are
clues that can point to a specific piece of software that is
malfunctioning.
Ok, so now you're in that 4%, now
what?
At this point, you may want to
consider using some software tools to help you:
Malwarebytes Anti-malware
is a great tool for identifying and removing malware
Free, at
www.malwarebytes.org |

Iolo's System Mechanic 9 is great at fixing Windows registry
problems
$40 at www.iolo.com |

F-Secure's Blacklight Rootkit Eliminator is good at
detecting and removing nasty rootkits
Free, at
http://www.f-secure.com/en_US/security/security-lab/tools-and-services/blacklight/index.html |

Webroot's Spy Sweeper is a good spyware removal and
protection tool
$40 at www.webroot.com |

Mozy has a good online backup solution to protect your data
automatically and constantly
$50 a year per computer, at
www.mozy.com |

Carbonite also has a good online backup solution, also
offers remote access to your files
$55 a year per computer, at
www.carbonite.com |

LogMeIn offers remote access that is easy to use, and very
safe. We use it exclusively for remote access to our
clients' computers.
Free and fee versions at
www.logmein.com |

Support.com (yourtechonline.com merged with them) offers
quality telephone and remote tech support
$50 and up for one-time fixes, $20 per month (and up) per
computer for support contract plans at
www.support.com |

PC Tools offers both Spyware Doctor and Registry Mechanic,
good tools for cleaning up your system
$30 each at
www.pctools.com |
Of course, if you are totally stuck
and need our help (and are in the Washington DC metro area), we'd be
happy to help you. Please

If you have experience with these or
other tools, we'd like to hear from you.
with any details you'd like to share with other netizens.
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